Tag: change in policy

Weekend Respite and Weekend Shifts – Change in Policy

There has been a recent change in policy for caregivers which has been put in place to provide the best opportunity for weekend respite for families. Our former policy required every caregiver to serve a mandatory three weekend shifts per month – this has now been changed to six mandatory weekend shifts per month. We recently were forced to cancel a whole weekend at the Respite House because we did not have all of the shifts covered. This was heart-breaking for the four young people who would have attended, and their families who were looking forward to a full weekend of respite.

The Benefit of the Six Weekend Shifts Plan for Caregivers

Caregivers, you have the power to schedule your own shifts, giving you all of the control you need to coordinate your schedule around important events in your life. Additionally, when you take the six weekend shifts, you may be learning about how to care for more participants, making you a better all-around care provider.

The Benefit of the Six Weekend Shifts Plan for Families

By having more caregivers trained for your loved one, in your home, or at the Weekend Respite House means you have a deeper bench of caregivers available to tap should you have the need for more coverage. The Weekend Respite House is very important to many families, and this policy was designed to make sure that we won’t have to say no to any family seeking respite.

Advice to Caregivers on Scheduling

You should know that we schedule a month in advance. Our best advice to caregivers is to be proactive about your scheduling by looking at least six to eight weeks in advance. By doing this, you will have the best shot at getting the weekend shifts you want and still be able to attend important events in your life. Our Scheduler, Molly Fultz, can be a great help to you, but she can’t help you sort out your scheduling conflicts if you don’t respond to her calls, emails, or texts.